Metacognition as a mediator of the relationship between emotion and smoking dependence

This study investigated the role of metacognition as a mediator of the relationship between emotion and smoking dependence. A sample of 104 smokers completed the following questionnaires: Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Metacognitions Questionnaire 30 (MCQ-30), and Fagerström Test of Nicotine Dependence (FTND). Three dimensions of metacognition (positive beliefs about worry, negative beliefs about worry concerning uncontrollability and danger, and beliefs about cognitive confidence) were found to be positively and significantly correlated with smoking dependence. A positive and significant correlation was also observed between anxiety and depression on the one hand, and smoking dependence on the other. Structural equation modeling was used to test a mediational model in which emotion predicted metacognition which in turn predicted smoking dependence. The results supported the hypothesis that the relationship between emotion and smoking dependence is partially mediated by metacognition, suggesting that metacognitive theory may be relevant to understanding smoking dependence. The implications of these findings are discussed.